should i go for DVD-R

[thekemp]

looking into buying a dvd-r drive to archive all my video files and make them (useing dvd authoring software) into movies i could watch on my dvd player.
i need advice on
1.decent drives
2.decent and affordable authoring software
3.user experiences on using this new technology
thankyou veru much on all your replies!

[vass0922]

^bump^ try to get some info for ya Get ya up in the recent posts hehe

[angelcat]

^Bump^ I can't help you much with info, but I can bring it back up the list for ya!

[Ming]

I wish I could help, but I am somewhat discouraged from getting a dvd-ram because of the high price of media. Sorry I am of no help.

[fosin]

I've heard of a lot of compatibality issues, so you may want to look at this drive:

World's First Multi-Write DVD Drive
*Compatible with all write-type DVD and CDs recognized by DVD Forum*
http://www.lge.com/about/rnd/news/ne...e=2&p_seq=2030
Article:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/22686.html

Model number is GMA-4120B. I don't think it's out yet. Retail prob uses LG brand name and OEM may use HLDS brand.

[thekingofpain]

The Pioneer (DVR A03) is probably the most widely used being one of the first released----here is a list of some tests if you havnt seen em:
http://www.cdmediaworld.com/hardware...ters%20Reviews

[Mlope]

Hello Thekemp,
I read a syndicated Q&A column by a fellow named Jim Coates in my Sunday paper. He seems to think DVD-R's are a bit early and likely to be trouble (unless you have a Mac). I seem to remember people having adventures with early CD burners a few years back when they were new too. Anyhow, what follows is a roughly scanned and converted copy of last Sunday's column. Maybe it will help.

Q: More than 10 years ago I bought a Sony 8 mm canm-corder when my first child was born.
Since then I’ve accumuIated several dozen tapes of my children growing up. I’d like to copy these tapes onto DVDs so that I can share them with the in-laws and family members. I have a Pentium ii 400 mHz PC, running Win-dows 98, with 256 Meg of RAM and two 40-Gig hard dri-ves.
Meanwhile, is it possible to connect the Camcorder to my PC? What additional hardware would I need to purchase? What video software will let me manipulate video files (nothing fancy just chop up different scenes Into separate files)?

A: Let’s put aside theDVD burner issue and stick instead with the part of your question about getting those I 0-year-old videotapes onto that Pentium’s hard drive, Mr~ C.
It most likely will take ~OU at least a few months to get all of that raw footage onto the hard drive and by that t line, I hope, there will be reliable add- on DVD writers available for PCs.
in my tests to date, however, these devices have proven too difficult to install and use for me to recommend any of them.
Besides, I suspect that once you get a chance to use computer video editing pow-ers to compile a decade’s worth of precious family memories you will be happy to just record the finished movies on so-called VCI)s, ordinary CD-ROM discs that can be burned using sottwaie like Roxio Easy CD Creator Platinum.
In my opinion the best way to record video from analog cameras like your Sony is to buy a special cardd called the ATI-TV Wonder that goes in the PCI slot of your PC.
This card costs about ~$80 and lets you plug iii the sound and video out cables from that Sony camcorder and records the tapes as .avi files, the most commonly used raw video files.
Once von have created the raw files. you can use the Roxio Easy CD Creators Platinum software’s Video lmpitissions module to cut and paste your video together. The platinum software (about $80) then transforms the edited video clips into the MPEG 2 format needed to play on home DVD players.
Finally, the software will burn VCDs using your PC's CD-R drive and you will have the discs you want to share with family.
These VCD's only run about 30 minutes at best so a lot of folks are going to want proper DEVD burners, but the bueaty of this ATI video card/Easy CD Creator software solution is that the same software and hardware can later be used when you get a DVD burner.

[fosin]

^ what he said . It would be cheaper and easier to burn your vids to a Video CD. Almost all DVD players support them. If you get some 870MB/99min CDRs, you should be able to get over an hour of video on a disc. You can go straight from tape to MPEG2 using just about any capture card. ezCD can create Video CDs for you.

If you get a DVD burner, I believe DVD-RW will write DVDs that normal players will read and DVD-RAM will not (more of a backup drive). Both are about $500. I remember paying almost that much for my first CD burner

[otheos]

Ok, 3 different things:

1. DVD-R/RW
2. DVD+R/RW
3. DVD-RAM

The 1st is the most compatible, uses both RW and write-once media. The project is backed up by Pioneer and is more industry oriented and technology aware. Pioneer offers two drives the 03 and 04 (newer faster better) for less than $500 (£300+VAT).

The 2nd is less compatible (still ok), and most will NOT burn write once, only RW. Media are different to DVD-R/RW and currently slightly more expensive. Also the consortium of + (as opposed to - above) is more market oriented and being pushed more, but as a consequence their customer milking has already starting by promising future write-once media compatibility on current drives and now deny to deliver. I'd stick with DVD-R/RW anyhow as it looks better as a technology.

3. DVD-RAM. Has nothing to do with DVD other than using the same optical technology. Incompatible with everything (DVD-ROMS included) and only use as storage/backup (no movies/audio etc). Mainly backed up by Panasonic, very cheap lately and good price/GB of backup storage, but seriously proprietary.

If I were you I'd hold for a little longer. I'd stick to DVD-R/RW as I trust Pioneer for technology and already disliked the DVD+RW consortium with the fiasco. However more drives are to be coming soon and prices will only go down (and that's true for media too).

[thekemp]

hi thanks for the replies guys!
i want to buy a DVD-R so they play in any dvd drive,
the thing is i hve hundreds of cd's ive had a cd burner since they were out 1x and still got it. im not bothered about the cost and ive seen media for £1.50 so it aint much.
thanks for all yourinput will be looking into getting either a sony or a pioneer 03
cheers